Reviews

The Bright Side of Life is a World Premiere comedy, set in an aged care home, written, directed and unexpectedly starring Siobhan Wright, playing at Maylands’ Roxy Lane Theatre.

The story follows Julia Casey who enters the home, ostensibly for a few weeks, while her son Paul organises a granny flat to be built in his garden. The play follows her interactions with the other women in the home and explores the stories of the other residents, Bright and funny, but touching on some serious issues, it offers some lovely roles for mature performers.

All afternoon weather warnings had interrupted every ‘Drive Time’ radio program. Heavy rain had pelted down in intermittent bursts. Storm clouds still hovered menacingly. Yet from 5.30 until 10.30pm not a drop of rain fell on Sydney Harbour for the opening night of this, the very first open-air performance of The Phantom of the Opera in 35 years.

Isabella Perversi is an interesting performer – her background is in Fine Art and Music at Melbourne’s VCA& Conservatorium, and her CV is an eclectic mix of dance (most recently for Opera Australia), film and TV – including performing in self-penned and self-produced shorts and plays at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Presented by Little Match Productions, The Babushka Book Club is a fabulously funny cabaret combination of laughter and music, developed by its wickedly witty leading ladies – Alicia Cush, Judy Hainsworth and Laura Coutts – alongside director Bridget Boyle and Penny Challen, with piano and musical arrangements by Luke Volker (and Alicia Cush). This talented threesome have been performing on Brisbane’s cabaret and music scene for many years and their stage experience shows in their command of an audience.